Display apparatus.



W. A. FRICKE.

DISPLAY APPARATUS J wwucfip'on FILE-D MAR. 16. 19 14.

Patentd Apr. l0, 1917.

x anal-ten WILLIAM A- FRICKE, OF OAK PARK, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO FRED G. DICKERSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

DISPLAY APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters iatent.

Patented Apr. 109., 191?.

Application filed March 16, 1914. Serial No. 824,914.

' To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. FRICKE, citizen of the United States, residin at Oak Park, in the county of Cook and btate of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Display Apparatus, of which the following is a full,'clear, conelse, had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to display apparatus of the class including display boards formed of many collocated electrically controlled display elements preferably in the form of electric lamps, though the invention is not to be limited to the nature of the responsive devices which are to constitute th display elements. In such apparatus switching or transmitting boards have been employed that were made of a plurality of circuit terminals individual to the display elements and usually similarly collocated.

In practising my present invention the above described equipment of the prior art may be used and in conjunction with this equipment electro-magnets are employed that are included in circuits which are individual to the display elements and their similarly collocated contact terminals and which magnets areprovided or associated with means for enabling the maintenance of the display elements in set display condition whereby any selected plurality of display elements may simultaneously cooperate to present a signal, character, or emblem. In the preferred embodiment of the invention the magnets perform their function when they are energized and serve to close normally open circuits that include the display elements. In this arrangement the magnets are desirably provided with looking circuits which are closed by the energized magnets through their windings whereby the-magnet armatures are maintained in the positions to which they, are attracted then to maintain the operated display elements in set display condition. Means are provided for restoring such operated display elements one by one or simultaneously as desired.

My equipment preferably includes electro-v magnets supplied in addition to the aforesaid electro-magnets and also individual to and exact description, reference beingthese latter magnets are closed at circuit terminals upon the switching or transmitting boards, these latter magnets having no means for when their energizing circuits are broken at the corresponding transmitting board terminals In the preferred form of equipment certain of the display elements may be maintained in set display condition by those of the first aforesaid magnets that are individual thereto while other display elementsmay be placed in non-set display condition by those of the second aforesaid magnets that are individual to these latter display elements.

I will explain'my invention more fully by reference to the accompanying drawing maintaining their energization showing the preferred embodiment thereof and in which Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view illustrating one circuit arrangement and in Fig. 2 is a diagram illustrating the mechanical interrelation of the transmis sion and receiving boards.

Like parts are indicated by similar characters of reference in both figures.

The transmitting board includes a pluralitylof terminals 1 each individual to a display element 2. These display elements are desirably in the form of electric lamps but are not to be limited to such an embodiment. The contact terminals 1 and the re sponsive devices 2 individual thereto are preferably similarly distributed on their respective boards, though the area occupied by the transmitting board may, if desired, be quite small as compared with the area occupied by the display board. Each contact terminal 1 has a complemental contact terminal which is desirably common to all of the contact terminals 1 and in such event may be embodied in a stylus 3. The circuit arrangements for all-of the lamps or responsive devices 2 are desirably similar, each circuit arrangement including a contact 1 and the complement thereof such as the stylus 3.

Referring now more particularly to Fig. 1, a circuit is establishedwhenever the stylus 3 is ap lied to any of the contact buttons 1, whic circuit may be traced from the touched button 1, the intermediate armature switch of the relay 4 (each lamp 2 having a relay 4 individual thereto) the normal contact of this armature switch, the normally engaged contacts 5 and 6, the windingof relay 7, .(each lamp 2 having a relay 7 1 ing circuit is traceable from the positive pole of the battery 8, the omnibus restoring key 9, the left hand armature switch of relay 4 and its normally engaged contact, the intermediate armature switch of relay 7 and the-contact 6 then engaged thereby, the winding of relay 7 ,thence back to the battery 8. The locking circuit for said relay 7 is established at the intermediate armature switch ofthis relay before the initial energizing circuit of this relay is broken upon the separation of the contacts 5 and 6 that is efi'ected by the intermediate armature switch of the relay whereby chattering' of such relay 7 is avoided and its locking circuit is positively maintained. As

long as any relay 7 remains energized the display device 2 individual thereto remains energized in the circuit established at the right hand armature switch of the relay and when each energized relay 7 has its circuit locked the corresponding responsive device 2 will obviously remain energized until itsassociate relay 7 is deenergized. It is therefore necessaryonly momentarily to establish circuits at the contacts 1 which are individual to lamps 2 that are selected to glow and be maintained in their set display condition. Thus any character traced upon the transmitting board by touching the stylus 3 (or other suitable terminal structure) to contact buttons 1 outlining such a character will be reproduced by the display devices 2 on the display board if'the relay 7 individual to each touched button 1 remains looked after the initial establishment of its initial energizing circuit. When it is desired to efiace the displayed character the omnibus restoring key 9 which is common to the locking circuits of all relays 7 is depressed whereby the locking circuits of'energized relays 7 are opened and the responsive devices 2 individual to these particular relays are excluded from circuit thereby to efi'ace the previously displayed character.

If the user-of the equipment should desire to exclude the displayed lamps'2 from circuit upon the separation of the stylus 3 from the contacts 1 individual to such lamps I such a resultv may be effected by-closing the key '10 which is common to the energizing circuits of relays,4. When the key 10 is depressed the relay 4 individual to-each button 1 engaged by the stylus 3 is energized owing to the establishment of a circuit which is traceable from the battery 8 through the stylus 3 (or other contacting structure) the button 1 touched by the stylus, the intermedimal contact, the engaged contacts 5 and 6 of the relay 7 that is individual to the relay 4, the winding of said relay 7, thence back to the. battery, saidrelay'7 being then encrgized to establish a circuit for said relay 4 which is traceable from the battery 8 through the stylus 3, the contact button 1 individual to said relay 4, the left hand armature switch of said relay 7 and its contact, the winding of relay 4, the common key 10, back to the battery 8. To prevent the energized relay 4 from chattering, a supplementalbut non-locking circuit is established through its winding, said supplemental circuit being traced from the battery 8, the

stylus 3, the contact button 1 engaged by the stylus and individual to said relay 4, the intermediate armature switch of said relay 4 and its alternate contact, the winding of said relay 4, the depressed common key 10, to the battery 8, this latter circuit being maintained as long as said button 1 is engaged by the stylus 3, while the common key 10 is depressed, said circuit then being independent of the lefthand armature switch of the associate relay 7, this latter relay being immediately denergized at the left hand armature switch of the associate relay 4, which armature switch is included in the locking circuit of relay 7 chattering of the relay 7 being avoided by opening the circuit at the left hand armature switch of relay 4 when the relay 4 is energized. The responsive device 2 individual to the energized relay 4 is included in a closed circuit at the right hand armature switch of this relay and is immediately excluded from circuit when the stylus 3 is removed from the button 1 individual' to this relay for reasons now under stood. The relays 4 are desirably made slugish in operation in order to insure the opening of the circuits of their associaterelays 7 at the left hand armature switches of the relays 4.

By means of the system pf my invention the relays 7 individual to certain of the lamps 2 may have their armatures held in attracted positions preferably by means of the locking circuits to maintain such lamps in set display condition, while other display lamps 2 may be maintained in display con- .dition only as long as their associate relays 4 are energized as previously explained. Thus a set figure may be displaved upon the display board by means of certain lamps held in set display. condition .by locked relays .7 while other figures. undergoing changes due to the energization and deenergization of relays 4 individual to other lamps may be concurrently displayed. If it should be desired to restore, one by one, the display elements in a set figure this result may be accomplished by depressing the key 10 and touching the corresponding 1,222,091 7 all terminal buttons 1 by the stylus 3, an operation which will be apparent from the foregoing description. In Fig. 1 the circuit portions that are common to thevarious controlling circuits are indicated by dotted lines. There is but one key 10 which is common to all the energizing circuits of the relays 4 and one key 9 which is included in all of the'locking circuits of relay 7.

While I have larly described the preferred embodiment of my invention I do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction and circuit arrangement as changes may readily be made without departing from the spirit of my invention, but having thus described my invention I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent the following:

isplay apparatus including a transmitting board that contains a plurality of contact terminalsand providedwith circuit closing contacting means for cooperation with said terminals to effect operation of the display apparatus;

. the display elements ing display elements;

the display elements for governing their opa display board having display elements; circuits individual to the display elements for governing their operation-and each having and being individual to a contact terminal upon the transmitting board; electro-magnets for effecting the operation of the display elements and individual thereto and the circuits that govern the same; means for holding the display elements in set display condition upon restoring the altered controlling circuits;'

and additional electro-magnets individual to the aforesaid electro-magnets and whose energizing circuits are controlled by the aforesaid magnets and which second magnets, when operated. serve to remove control of the first magnets from-the second magnets, the second magnets being individual to and in. controlling relation thereto, when operated,-to the exclusion of the means for holding the display elements in set display condition.

2. Display apparatus including a trans- "mitting board that contains aplurality of contact terminals and provided with circuit closing contacting means for cooperation with said terminals to effect operation of the display apparatus; a display board hav- .circuits individual to eration and eachhaving and being individual to a contact terminal upon the transmitting board; electro-magnets for effecting the operation of the individual thereto and the circuits that -govern the same means for maintaining the armatures of the magnets in the positions to which they are moved to maintain the assoc-late display elements in set display cond tion;,and additional electro-magnets individual to the aforesaid electrounagnets and whose energiz ng c rcu1ts are conherein shown and particu- 1ng display elements;

display elements and move control of the first magnets from the Second magnets the second magnets being individual to the display elements and in controlling relation thereto, when operated, to the exclusion of the means for holding the display elements in set tion.

3. Display apparatus including a trans mitting board that contains a plurality of contact terminals and provided with circuit closing contacting means for cooperation with said terminals to effect operation of the display apparatus; a display board havin display elements; circuits individual to the display elements for governing their operation and each having and being individual to a contact terminal upon the transmitting board; electro-magnets for effecting the operation of the display elements and individual thereto and the circuits that govern the same; locking clrcuitsfor the magnets which are closed thereby when such mag-.

nets are energized; and additional electromagnets' individualto the aforesaid electro magnets and whose energizing circuits are controlled by the aforesaid magnets and which second magnets, when operated, serve contact terminals and provided with circuit closing contacting means for coiiperation the display apparatus; circuits individual to the display elements for governing their operation and each having and being individual to a contact terminal upon the transmitting board; electro-magnets for effecting the operation of the display elements and in dividual thereto and the circuits that govern the same; means for holding the display elements in set display condition upon restoring the altered controlling circuits; and additional electro-magnets individual to the aforesaid electro-magnets that serve, when operated, to remove control of the first magnets from the second magnets, the second magnets being individual to the display elements and in controlling relation thereto, when operated, to the exclusion of the means for holding the display elements in set display condition.

5. Display apparatus including a transmitting board that contains a plurality of display condicontact terminals and provided with circuit the same; means for maintainlng the armatures of the magnets in the pos1t1ons towhich they are moved to maintain the associate display elements in set display condition; .and additional electro-magnets 1ndividual to the aforesaid electro-magnets that serve, when operated, to remove control of the first magnets from the second magnets, the second magnets being individual to the display elements and in controlling relation thereto, when operated, to the exclusion of the'means for holding the display elements in set display condition.

'6. Display apparatus including a transmitting board that contains a plurality of contact terminals and provided with circuit a closing contacting means for co'c peration with said terminals to effect operation of the display apparatus; a display board having display elements; circuits individual to the display elements for governing their opera tion and each having and being individual to a contact terminal upon the transmitting board; electro-magnets for eifecting the operation of the display elements and individual thereto and the circuits that govern the same; locking circuits for the magnets which are closed thereby when such magnets are energized; and additional electromagnets individual to the aforesaid electr0-' magnets that serve, when operated, to remove control of the first magnets from the second magnets, the second magnets being individual to'the display elements and in controlling relation, thereto, when operated, to the exclusion of the means for holding the display elements in set display condition.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 7th day of March A. D. 1914.

WILLIAM A. FRICKE.

Witnesses:

G. L. CRAGG,

ETIA L. WHITE. 

